A patent is an intellectual property proper that provides the holder, not an operating right, but a appropriate to prohibit the use by a third party of the patented invention, from a specific date and for a limited duration (normally 20 years).

Some nations may at the time of registration problem a "provisional patent" and could grant a "grace time period" of patents one particular yr which avoids the invalidity of the patent to an inventor who disclosed his invention before filing a patent in a non-confidential basis with the advantage of allowing quick dissemination of technical details while reserving the industrial exploitation of the invention. Depending on the nation, the very first "inventor" or the first "filer" has priority to the patent.

The patent is legitimate only idea for a product in a offered territory. Thus, the patent remains national. It is attainable to file a patent application for a particular country (INPI for France, the USPTO for the U.S., JPO for Japan), or a group of nations (with the EPO for 38 European nations, filing a PCT application for the 142 signatories of the Treaty). Hence, a patent application might cover many countries.
product strategyIn return, the invention have to be disclosed to the public. In practice, patents are instantly published 18 months after the priority date, that is to say, right after the initial filing, except in unique cases.

To be patentable, in addition to the reality that it have to be an "invention", an invention should also meet 3 vital criteria.

1. It should be new, that is to say that absolutely nothing similar has ever been available to the public knowledge, by any signifies whatsoever (written, oral, use. ), and anywhere. It also must not match the material of a patent that was filed but not nevertheless published.

2. It need to have inventive step, that is to say, it are not able to be evident from the prior artwork.

3. It need to have industrial application, that is to say, it can be used or produced in any kind of market, like agriculture (excluding functions of art or crafts, for example).

When a organization believes that its competitors are unlikely to uncover a single of its tricks in the course of the period of coverage of any patent, or that the business would not be ready to detect infringement or enforce its rights, it can choose not to file, which carries a danger and a advantage.

The danger: If a competitor finds the same approach and obtains a patent on it, the company could be prohibited to use his own invention ( the French law and American law vary on this stage, one particular taking into consideration the proof at the date of discovery, and the other at the date of publication). French law also includes a so-named exception of "prior individual possession" for a man or woman who can prove that the alleged invention was indeed infringed presently in its possession prior to the filing date of the patent application. In such case, operation would only be in a position to proceed for that person on the French territory.

The advantage: If there is no patent, the technique is not published and therefore the company can assume to proceed operation in theory indefinitely (Even so in practice, someone will probably discover the notion one day, but the duration of safety may finish up longer in complete). This system of trade secret and as a result non- patenting is used in some situations by the chemical sector.